PDB Protein Structure Lookup: Resolution & Citation (Bulk)

Look up any number of RCSB Protein Data Bank (PDB) entry IDs (4HHB, 6VXX, 1CRN, ...) and get the title, experimental method, resolution, molecular weight, entity count, deposit/release dates, keywords and primary citation (title, year, DOI, PubMed ID). Public-domain (CC0) data, no key needed.

What does PDB Protein Structure Lookup do?

Bulk-lookup PDB structure IDs: experimental method, resolution, molecular weight, keywords and primary citation.

What can you use it for?

• Enrich protein or drug-target lists with structure metadata.
• Check experimental method and resolution before using a structure.
• Collect DOIs and PubMed IDs for structures cited in research.
• Build bioinformatics or structural-biology datasets.

Why use this Actor?

• Fast and cheap: lightweight HTTP-based Actor with no browser, so runs finish in seconds and cost very little.
• No API keys or accounts needed for the data source (see notes below).
• Clean, structured JSON that you can export as CSV, Excel, JSON or XML, or pull through the Apify API and integrations.
• Scheduling, webhooks and integrations: run it daily and send results to Google Sheets, Slack, Zapier, Make, n8n or your own API.

Input

Configure the run in the Input tab (all fields have sensible defaults).

Field	Type	Required	Default	Description
pdbIds	array of strings	yes	-	4-character RCSB PDB entry codes, e.g. 4HHB, 6VXX, 1CRN.

Example input

{
  "pdbIds": [
    "4HHB",
    "6VXX",
    "1CRN"
  ]
}

Output

Results are stored in the default dataset. Download them from the Output tab or via the API.

Example result

{
  "pdbId": "4HHB",
  "title": "THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN DEOXYHAEMOGLOBIN AT 1.74 ANGSTROMS RESOLUTION",
  "keywords": "OXYGEN TRANSPORT",
  "experimentalMethod": "X-RAY DIFFRACTION",
  "resolutionAngstrom": 1.74,
  "molecularWeightKDa": 64.74,
  "polymerEntityCount": 2,
  "depositDate": "1984-03-07T00:00:00.000Z",
  "releaseDate": "1984-07-17T00:00:00.000Z",
  "citationTitle": "The crystal structure of human deoxyhaemoglobin at 1.74 A resolution",
  "citationYear": 1984,
  "doi": "10.1016/0022-2836(84)90472-8",
  "pubmedId": 6726807,
  "url": "https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4HHB",
  "scrapedAt": "2026-10-06T20:40:23.565Z",
  "input": "4HHB"
}

Output fields

Field	Type	Example
pdbId	string	"4HHB"
title	string	"THE CRYSTAL STRUCTURE OF HUMAN DEOXYHAEMOGLOBIN AT 1.74 ...
keywords	string	"OXYGEN TRANSPORT"
experimentalMethod	string	"X-RAY DIFFRACTION"
resolutionAngstrom	number	1.74
molecularWeightKDa	number	64.74
polymerEntityCount	number	2
depositDate	string	"1984-03-07T00:00:00.000Z"
releaseDate	string	"1984-07-17T00:00:00.000Z"
citationTitle	string	"The crystal structure of human deoxyhaemoglobin at 1.74 ...
citationYear	number	1984
doi	string	"10.1016/0022-2836(84)90472-8"
pubmedId	number	6726807
url	string	"https://www.rcsb.org/structure/4HHB"
scrapedAt	string	"2026-10-06T20:40:23.565Z"
input	string	"4HHB"

How much does it cost?

The Actor is billed by Apify according to the pricing shown on the Pricing tab of this page. Runs are small and fast, and the Apify Free plan includes monthly platform credits so you can try it at no cost. You can set a maximum cost per run, and the Actor stops cleanly when that limit is reached.

Notes and limitations

• IDs are the 4-character PDB entry codes, e.g. 4HHB, 6VXX, 1CRN. Lower or upper case both work.
• Unknown IDs return a NOT_FOUND row. Data from RCSB PDB, released under CC0 1.0 (public domain).

Tips

• Start with a small test run, then scale up the input.
• Use Schedules to automate recurring runs and Webhooks or Integrations to deliver the data where you need it.
• Call the Actor from your code with the Apify API or the official JavaScript and Python clients.

FAQ

Where do I find a PDB ID?

Search https://www.rcsb.org for a protein or structure name; the 4-character code is in the URL and page header.

Feedback

Found a bug or need an extra field? Open an issue from the Issues tab of this Actor and it will be looked at quickly.

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